Our STRIKERS

[Young_Nudger]

At the beginning of the season i thought we needed 4 players.
1) A replacement for Brown - because I didn’t rate him - we got Frieser.
2) Another centre back - we got Helik.
3) Another striker - that had height and could hold the ball up. Although it sounds like we were after such a player, we failed to sign anyone.
4) A replacement for Mowatt - because I didn’t rate him - I thought our main problem was middle of midfield. We got James.
(We also added Brittain which was a brilliant signing)

Now I don’t know what’s happened since James joined the club - whether it’s his influence on the players or a slightly different way of playing now under Val - but Mowatt is now playing well and the midfield looks solid.
But as one fire is put out - another one has started - STRIKERS.

I reckon we have 3 strikers with great potential that will get better with time:
Simoes - who for some reason is out of favour - so something quite serious must have happened there.
Thomas - who with a bit more confidence will be a great player for us.
Victor - I can see this guy being special - a young player that will get better when he gets stronger and develops his upper body strength.

But what about the others?
Woodrow - what’s happened to Woodrow? OK, he’s great a penalties - but at the moment he’s bringing very little to the table.
He doesn’t hold the ball up and he’s lost his shooting boots.
Like all our players - Woodrow works his socks off. But he’s not the player he was. My theory is that he’s a fox in the box type of striker - he was at his best when Kieffer was at the club - but we don’t play that style of football now.
Maybe he will get back to his best if or when we bring in a striker similar to Kieffer.

Chaplin - again a fox in the box who has been brought up to play alongside a target man. He isn’t quick across the ground - but very quick in the box. I like Caplin as he’s a terrier type of player - but he doesn’t suit the pressing game because of his lack of speed.

Frieser - clearly knows how to play the pressing game but holds little threat at goal.

Schmidt - again another fox in the box that’s struggling with the pressing game.

Miller - young guy that we haven’t seen much of - but needs to stake a claim.

So all in all we have strikers with potential - but our other strikers are struggling to perform.
Whether a different type of striker will improve the situation - as James has done in midfield - then that has to be seen.
But currently the strike force is holding this team back.